MRI Exposure During Early Pregnancy Not Harmful to Fetus

With growing use of medical imaging there are many questions about the safety of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during the first trimester of pregnancy. A new study analyzed more than 1.4 million births that had exposure to MRI during the first trimester compared with nonexposure, and found there was no association of MRI and increased risk of harm to the fetus or during early childhood. However, MRI done with the contrast agent gadolinium at any time during pregnancy might be harmful and is associated with higher risk of fetal death as well as a variety of inflammatory and skin conditions in the newborn.